Running-gear.



B- W.. BERRY. RUNNING GER.

APPLIGATION. HLM) 00T. ze, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15,1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

BENJAMIN W. BERRY, OF MONTIOELLO, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. PERKINS, OF MONTIGELLO, FLORIDA.

RUNNING- GE AR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 26, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

yBe it known that I, BENJAMIN W. BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monticello, in the county of Jefferson and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Running-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in running gears.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of running gears for one horse vehicles, and to provide a simple and comparatively inex ensive device of great strength and durabi ity, adapted to dispense with the front hounds and their connections, and capable of rmly supporting the front of a wagon, or a similar vehicle, in a level position and of preventing the front of the vehicle from tipping backward or forward.

With these and other objects iii view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, pro ortion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrilicing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :MFigure 1 is a perspective view of the front portion of a running gear, constructed in accordance with this inven tion. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the support. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the support, illustrating modifications of the invention.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawin g1 designates the reach, which is provided with an extended front portion 2, projecting in advance of the front axle 3 and connected with the same by a king bolt 4 in the usual manner. The reach is arched by a brace 5 extending longitudinally of the front axle and secured at its front ends to the Wooden axle bed 6. The brace 5 receives a body bolster 7 of the ordinary construction.

The running ear is provided with a pair of shaftsy lmcoup ed atntheirnrearpnds to the front axle 3 and connected by a cross bar 2a in the usual manner.

In Order to hold the front portion of the running gear level and to revent the same from tipping backward or orward, the running gear is equipped with a longitudinal su ort 8, consisting substantially of a meta 1c truss like frame, receiving the front axle and extending in advance and in rear of the same to form a bearing for the reach 1. The support, which is spaced from the shafts and the connecting cross bar of the same, is independent thereof, and is composed of a horizontal top bar or member 9 and a bottom bar or member 10. The top bar or member is gained in the up er face of the axle bed, and has its upper flaice flush with the upper face of the same, and the lower bar or mem'- ber has an intermediate horizontal portion to lit the bottom of the axle, and is provided with inclined front and rear portions, which are connected with the terminals of the horizontal top bai' or member. The top and bottom bars or members are provided with central openings 11 for the reception of the king bolt, and they are also provided with front and rear perforations 12 and 13, which receive front and rear bolts 14 and 15 having their heads counter-sunk in the top member. The front and rear bolts, which lit tightly against the front and rear faces of the axle, are arranged in grooves of the axle bed, and their lower ends are provided with nuts for engaging the lower face of the intermediate portion of the bottom bar or member.

The support, shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, is constructed of a single piece of metal, the terminals of which are united by Welding at the central portion of the bottom bar or member. In Fig. 4 is illustrated a support 16, constructed of a single strip or bar of metal, the terminals of which are secured together by one or more rivets 17, arranged at the front end of the support. The support 17 a, shown in Fig. 5, is made in two pieces, the top bar or member 18 being secured at its terminals to the ends of a bottom bar or member 19 by rivets 20.

By extending the reach in advance of the axle and by arranging the support so as to lit flat against the reach in advance and in rear of the axle, the front portion of the run ning gear is maintained in a level position bar or and is prevented from tippingbackward or j under-side of the reach in advance and forward, and the hounds usually employed in the construction of one horse vehicles may be omitted, thereby lessening the cost of the running gear. Also'by preventing the front axle from rocking, the draft is applied at the bottom of the axle, which will enable a heavy load to be pulled with greater ease. Y

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a running gear having a reach extended ink advance of the front axle, said running gear also including a pair of shafts and a cross bar for connecting the same, of a central longitudinal support consisting of an open truss-shaped frame rigidly connected at an intermediate point with the axle and spaced from and independent of the shafts and the connecting cross bar and projecting in advance and in rear of the same and fitting against the under-side ofthe reach both in advance and in rear of the axle, whereby the front portion of the running gear is maintained in a level position and is prevented from tipping either baclward or forward.

2. The combination with a running gear having a reach extending in advance of the front axle, of a support consisting of a single piece of metal bent to form an open trussshapedframe and having its terminals united, said frame receiving and rigidly secured to the front axle 4and fitting against the underside of the reach both in advance and in rearv of the'axle.

3. The combination with a running Vgear provided with areach having an` extended front portion projecting in advance ofthe front axle, of a support located entirely'beneath the reach and independent of the shafts or pole and consistingy of an open truss-shaped frame spanning and rigidly secured at an intermediate point to the front axle, said frame projecting bothin advance and in rear of the axle and fitted against the rear of the said axle for supporting the said reach.

4. The combination with a running gear provided with a reach having an extended front portion projecting in advance of the front axle, of a central longitudinal support consisting of an open substantially trussshaped frame receiving and spanning the front axle and rigidly connected at an intermediate pointto the same and fitting against the underside of the reach in advance and in rear of the front axle;

5. The combination with a running gear provided with a reach having Van extended front portion projecting in advance of the front axle, of a support consisting of a substantially truss-shaped frame rigidly secured to the front axle and composed of a horizontal top bar fitting against the reachin advance and in rear of the said axle, and a bottom bar having an intermediate horizontal portion and provided with inclined front and rear portions extending upwardly from the intermediate portion and connected at their ends with the top bar.

6. The combination with a vrunning gear prrovided with a reach having an extended ont portion and projectingin advance of the front axle, of a support consisting of anY open frame projecting forwardly and rearwardly from the front axle, the top of the frame supportingthe underside of the reach in advance and-in rear of the front axle', and bolts connecting the top and bottom of the frame and fitted against the front and rear of the said axle for rigidly securing the frame to the same.

ln testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN TW. BERRY. i

l/Vitnesses:

T. M. PULEsToN, E. D. WOODS. 

